Hurdling through the white void my body crashed through multiple layers of reality before crashing through into the fourth dimension.
Skidding across the temporal sea my boots heels dug in before forcing the continuous current of time carrying me to a halt.
I was now in a world of time. It was like a universe of constantly flowing water with windows leading into the other dimensions everywhere for the currents of time to flow out into like fuel to an engine.
[aspect: taken devourer - take the time!]
My [aspect] automatically began rejecting the time displacements trying to force me out of the fourth dimension like squalls of wind. Emitting blackened-silver arcs and embers in the air around me while the reality warped and twisted as if unable to recognise my presence but being forced to anyway.
Looking around i frowned. "...are the currents of time... fractured?"
It wasn't just the area around me that was warped. The rivers, streams and waterfalls of temporal energies were spiralling like something had artificially moved them in a different direction from where they were supposed to go.
"Is this an effect of Arthur Moonleaf's regressions? If its this bad after only one regression imagine how twisted this place will become after thousands."
Waking from his nap Thorn mumbled, "go investigate rather than observing if you're so concerned. Just stay quiet so i can sleep, will ya?"
"Right, my bad."
Rolling around in my hood Thorn quickly began snoozing again as he returned to his nap. And i started following the river i walked through back to its source.
The waters of destiny and winds of fate bashed into me repeatedly as i kept treading through the fourth dimension. Trying to age me to death but barely even growing wrinkles on my skin as my [aspect] took full advantage of my immortal timelessness to protect me. Even if it didn't and i aged rapidly, my immortality would just de-age me and it would be a repeating process until i left the fourth dimension.
While pushing through the river there were cracks in time spread across the dimension. Unnatural openings from things trying to force their way into the fourth dimension. Time traveler's to put it simply, or plot holes in another sense.
If there's this many of them...either someone must have been coming and going as they please. Or it's the universe trying to figure out the course of events meant for certain people to exist.
Jumping down from the stream of time i was in i landed in a different stream getting carried along for a moment before solidifying my stance against the water currents. Reaching the crack in time right next to it i peered in, seeing the history the fourth dimension was trying to amend.
"So it was the latter. Its noticed that Silven, Corvus, and Thorn aren't supposed to exist in the current time."
Beyond the crack in time. Three moments in history were actively erased as i watched it happen. The day Silven was ordained as one of the
Quietly glancing at the wraith shaped as a raven in my hood sleeping, i wondered if the reason he's been sleeping so much lately was because he was trying to conserve his energy while causality was trying to erase him.
I noticed Silven and Corvus looking haggard while overseeing the
Pushing on and speeding up my pace i forced my forwards through the liquified dimension. If things are left as is, Thorn, my one and only companion who stayed with me throughout hell. Really will vanish! If that happens then even my memories with him are at risk as well no matter how immune to causal time i am!
I need to be quicker! I need to be faster! There can't be a wasted second! I need to save my friend and shadow!
[aspect: taken devourer - take the dimension!]
[skill: autumn king's conquest - mach void!]
Crashing through the fourth dimension it tore apart in my charge towards the world tree of time. The effects of this were no doubt catastrophic on random parts of the universe but i had to hurry! Who cares if a world or two dies because of my actions if Thorn, one of the few assurances i had in hell, never existed!?
Coming to the roots of Virelthelas i took the time in my way and shoved it aside, leaping onto the tree made of water before taking out Clara's device from the void. With a powerful thrust of my arm the blades of the device stabbed through the world tree like it was a plug socket. The blades held it in place siphoning the energy into the device which powered it and began its data processing.
Now all the device needed was for Arthur Moonleaf to die and begin the regression. So it can collect and compile the data required to find a bypass around Arthur Moonleaf's regressions to allow Sathuna to find a method to retain her memories without my intervention.
"One-hundred knights, come out."
At my summon one-hundred ink-spirits appeared. Standing on the currents of time before kneeling towards me.
"Your job until i say so is to protect this device at all costs." Pointing to the orb i spoke seriously. "Do not let anything remove it. If there is something you cannot fight against inform me immediately."
The knights all splashed the streams of time with their weapons. Showing they would fulfil my commandment before they immediately assumed a defensive formation with a small squad of knights heading off to act as lookouts.
"Thank you." I huffed.
Cutting my hand through the dimension a tear opened sucking in the temporal energies as I walked through out into a random area of deep space before [mach void] spell condensed beneath my feet and fired me through the void back to Felcrii.
Landing on the observatory's terrace i quickly headed inside. "The emitter is in place. Did you make the receiver yet?"
"Hmm?" Gathered around a computer Marchosias, Sathuna and Clara looked at me confused before Clara said, "yeah, its been a week since you left though. Where have you been?"
"Some temporal currents must have sent me into the future a little bit when i was leaving the fourth dimension. Only returned a few seconds ago from Virelthelas."
"Perhaps if you were not so immune to cause and effect you could have been sent much further into one of the new timelines created by the regressor." Marchosias assumed with a knowing look.
"Uh-huh. While i was in the fourth dimension i also noticed several parts of history being clipped. Causality is closing in on Thorn and others like him whose timeline doesn't exist yet. The effect seems to be wearing him out quite a lot."
"Let me have a look at Thorn." Strutting over quickly Sathuna peeked into my hood where Thorn was sleeping and prodded him with her finger, quickly coming to an understanding as no reaction came. "Yes... this is serious. Its slow but part of Thorn is disappearing though not all of him is being affected. It could just be the remnants of his real self that are being erased while the part of himself that was filled in with pieces of yourself Traveler are untouched."
"What does that mean? Translate so i can understand." I pleaded.
Noting my desperate tone Sathuna forced me to wait a moment before she had her answer. "Thorn at this moment is very likely a mixture of the 'real' him that was killed in the future and the 'false' him that you unknowingly created when you saved him in hell. Right now its safe to theorise two possible outcomes. The original Thorn is erased and replaced by a new Thorn who is no different to the original but more akin to your apocalyi, or the two halves merge and Thorn becomes a singularity like yourself capable of being more independent of you and less a parasite."
With no hesitation i said, "The latter of the two options is preferable."
"For both of you it certainly would be." Sathuna joked with an exaggerated motion of her arms. "Unfortunately it's impossible to tell what of which he will become until the process is complete. Everything relies on himself. And strictly speaking, even with all the information you gave me about the original timeline. Its not something capable of being remade within ten regressions. Thorn's fate will be decided by the second if not the third at this rate."
Staring at Sathuna with a lost look in my eyes i said, "Then all of this... was pointless to begin with."
Glancing at Marchosias and Clara through her blindfold Sathuna gestured for them to leave and they quickly left the observatory. Giving space to myself and the witch before she started speaking again.
"Its uncertain and i don't want to make any promises to you yet... but its possible once the foundation for the future is set Thorn, along with everything from the future that are not supposed to exist, could just 'appear' back in the universe even if causality has already erased them. Like the the pop of a balloon being reversed in a video."
"Right now we are in the first regression's timeline, Traveler. If things go to plan the ritual should be able to be prepared and conducted in the third regression. The anomalous data received from the emitter on Virelthelas has already allowed myself and Marchosias to begin drawing the plans of the magical ritual capable of allowing the caster to preserve their memory against the universal regression despite the limitations."
"So until the third regression please be patient. If not for yourself then for Thorn. No matter how much you despise waiting and feel the poison burning through your veins you must wait."
Offering her hand to me Sathuna showed several small devices. A USB-stick and two orbs that were memo-storers for herself and Marchosias.
Quietly lifting my gaze back onto her blindfold i wondered how much I should trust her on this. It was Thorn's past with me that was at stake here. Thats not something I ever want to lose even if he is an annoying and immature voice in my ear.
Blowing out a sigh i stole the three objects from her hand dropping them in my pocket. "Let's stretch the limits of cruelty, and see what breaks first. Us or creation."
Nodding Sathuna followed the declaration. "A fair gamble. Victory tastes sweeter when failure is fatal."
Landing my eyes on Sathuna's demure face as if she said something heretical, i stepped imposingly closer to her. "Failure?" I hissed. "That word never applied to me for as long as i can remember. I was the answer when things went wrong. And now? You don't get to fail, either. We burn until we win. Hell is the path, victory's the accident."
Grinning to herself Sathuna said, "i like the sound of that. Hell is the path, and victory is the accident." Lifting her hand she snapped her fingers, summoning a screen showing the
Turning my head to the
My head jutted back to Sathuna who was looking around seeing the effects of the regression begin. Her body unwillingly beginning to reverse its actins while an invisible force pulled her. Before the regression fully begun she said, "I'll be waiting for you in my office, Traveler."
In the next moment time as a whole began rewinding and it was just me and the sleeping Thorn in my hood. Alone in this reversing universe that i couldn't even interact.
Even despite that i couldn't help but speak to Sathuna even though i knew there would be no answer. "Why did you orchestrate Arthur Moonleaf's death for this moment?"
Even when Sathuna recover's her memories in the next timeline using the memo-storer that Clara i knew any answer I'd get would be a lie. Her most likely reply as usual would simply be her motto.
'it's all part of the plan'.